Thieving Hearts
by RenegadeHawk
Summary: A young thief is taking Jump City by storm, but when she runs into the Titans' greatest enemy, Slade, she may be in for more than she bargained for. Will Robin, who fights only for justice, be able to help someone who operates on the opposite side of the law? RobinxOC
1. Only a Job

**Teen Titans story! Whoo! I loved loved _loved_ this show when I was younger, so I just had to write a story for it. And this is it! Enjoy! Reviews are, as always, more than welcome!**

It was just a job. She had to make money to live, and let's be honest; a waitress at the local pizza parlor is not a job by any stretch of the imagination. She was always told to use the skills given to her; it was just a side note that her skills weren't exactly legal. But hey, a girl's gotta eat, right? Right. That's why she stole.

She wasn't a petty thief; she was much too proud for such a demeaning description. No, she was a thief-for-hire, a **master** thief-for-hire, thank you very much. And she was the best in the city. The best in the city got the best jobs, it was simple fact. And getting the best job meant the best pay, as well as the best competition.

Have you noticed? The entire world is one big contest and the winners make it to the top. And the best thing about the game? It never ends until that one round that you finally lose, and there is always the threat of losing. Exhilarating.

The Teen Titans? The best super heroes in all of Jump City, the ones who took care of all crime and evil doers, the ones with that ridiculously catchy theme song? They had no idea she even existed. The people who hired her? Employed her and they've never seen her face. Her landlord? Thinks she's the sweetest, most innocent girl ever.

Her power? None. She learned martial arts as a child, but other than that she was simply good at going unnoticed. She called her "power" Silence, because no one could ever catch her if she didn't want to be found, and she could steal anything, no matter how much security there was or how many Titans protected it.

The job itself was simple, just the usual grab-n-go. It was boring. It was time for something exciting. And what could be more fun than provoking the Titans into a wild goose chase? She'd never fought them before, but she'd watched them. Analyzed each and every battle. She knew their strengths and weaknesses even better than they did. It was time to reveal herself to them.

* * *

That night, a small black figure crept into a dark, high security museum full of ancient and priceless artifacts. The thief's client had hired her to take a small bracelet with a green jewel set in a gold inlay. She thought it looked a bit junky, but as she was getting paid to fetch it she couldn't care less on how it looked. This client paid well; he'd hired her a number of times and always paid half up front.

She'd infiltrated this particular museum before and knew every escape route like the back of her hand. It was the perfect place to make herself known to the Titans.

One would think that she would avoid the young heroes at all costs, but she was bored with no competition in her way; she was looking for new entertainment.

The thief entered through the roof, crawling through the air vent that protruded through the roof and opened up to the sky. She snaked her way through the vents until she reached the room she was looking for.

The room was a small branch off of the larger Egyptian Exhibit, one that most people neglected to walk through. The artifacts were far from impressive compared to the contents of the other rooms: the centerpiece seemed to be the dinky little bracelet she had been hired to steal.

She strode up to the display case and, without her usual caution, punched a hole through the glass. A loud siren blared, yet she stood her ground. Beneath the black mask covering the lower half of her face, she was grinning in anticipation. She wasn't disappointed. The Teen Titans arrived almost immediately in all their sparkly superhero glory.

She flipped backwards, putting some distance between herself and her opponents. The bracelet dangled from her wrist. "Now, now," she admonished mockingly, her voice masked by a distorter. It came out in a boy's tone. "Is this the welcome I get for finally introducing myself?" she dodged a starbolt that came hurtling at her face and leapt over the small green boy who had transformed into a ram and charged at her.

"Took you this long to work up the courage to fight us? Doesn't merit much respect, you know," Robin taunted, taking the high ground and watching the battle, waiting to make his own entrance.

"What makes you think this is my first escapade? I've been working Jump City since before you five even met," the masked thief countered.

Cyborg lunged after her, attempting to tackle her to the ground- she ducked out of the way and danced away from his reach. As he crashed to the ground, darkness opened up beneath her feet. "Why would you reveal yourself to us after so long then?" the blue cloaked girl known as Raven questioned as her power engulfed the thief.

The other girl, Starfire, joined her friends. "Yes, it does not make any sense that we would not know who you are. Tell us, why are you doing this?" she fired off another bolt, and this time the thief had to roll to avoid being blasted to bits.

"Is it so hard for you to believe that I'm skilled enough to keep under your radar?" The girl in all black wanted to know. Underneath the thick racecar driver style goggles, her eyes flashed in indignation. These young heroes were rather arrogant in their information system.

"Dude, we're the best," the green boy shifted back into his human form. "If you were a long standing criminal, we'd have heard of you. The thief launched herself at him, swinging her leg around to catch him full in the stomach and sent him flying into a wall. She used the momentum of her attack to spring up to Robin. She threw a punch, which he deflected. The two fell into a rapid fire sparring match, neither able to land any critical blows. Finally, the thief caught the spiky haired boy by the arm and threw him into the two girls on his team.

Brushing some dust off her uniform she declared, "Information is all about control. The one who holds the most knowledge holds the most power, and I think you'll all be a bit surprised at how little power you actually possess." That seemed to finally give them pause.

"Just what are you after, Villain?" Cyborg called out.

"I'm not a villain, I'm just doing my job," the thief retorted. She rubbed at her hand, which was sore from her combat against Robin. The group took the chance to relaunch their attacks. The thief bounded out of the way, dodging all manner of projectiles launched at her. "And what I'm after, I've already retrieved,"

"But why? Why are you doing this if you claim not to be evil?" Starfire cried out, whipping starbolts after the thief. None hit, but they threw off her balance just enough to keep her stumbling as she dodged.

She smirked. "Boredom. And you all are doing a fantastic job of relieving it, but," she crossed her arms over her chest, pulling out a multitude of small pellet bombs. "It's time for me to make my escape. It was wonderful meeting you all,"

She threw the bombs at the ground and made her getaway as the smoke cleared. Just as she leapt into the ventilation, she heard a voice yelling out through the gas: "Wait! Who are you!" the girl chuckled to herself; that would be Robin, the Boy Wonder.

She decided to answer him, because it would make her life that much more interesting. "Just call me Vendetta, Champ, that's all you need to know." And then she was gone.

The smoke cleared and the group found themselves to be alone. Cyborg dusted some debris from his shoulder and remarked "He didn't kick our butts, but we definitely lost," the other members glared at him, an aura of anger rising up around them so strong that it almost seemed palpable. He shrugged with an apologetic grin on his face.

"He called himself 'Vendetta', which means he must have some sort of bone to pick with us, but he also tried to tell us he wasn't a criminal," Robin noted thoughtfully.

"He is most unusual," Starfire agreed, lighting on the ground beside the red clad boy. The rest of the group joined them and they all trudged back to their tower.


	2. Madman

**Chapter 2! I'm so excited about this story, I'm not gonna lie. I own nothing of this series, as much as I'd love to! I only own my dear little creation of Vendetta! Please review!**

Vendetta swung through an open window into an old abandoned factory. Her client constantly moved meeting places, so she was not concerned with the location; she had scoped it out before entering and was satisfied that there were no guards defending it. It was one of her rules when dealing with clients; she didn't want to be threatened or surprised by anything, so she allowed only the client to meet with her -absolutely no guests.

A tall, obviously muscular figure stepped out from behind a giant piece of machinery that seemed to litter the entire warehouse. His face remained in shadow, so the girl thief could not see what his appearance looked like. She remained close to the window, the only one in the entire building, and her easiest escape. While Vendetta could fight, she would not take her chances against this man; danger seemed to roll off of him in waves and she didn't like to be in his presence any more than absolutely necessary.

"Do you have the bracelet?" His voice was calm and cool, as if there was nothing in the world that could faze him. Vendetta wordlessly held up her wrist. The gold chains clinked lightly together. The small emerald winked up at her in the dim lighting.

"Don't see what the use for this crummy little thing could be, but I'm not paid to care, so what's the point?" Vendetta said, shrugging one shoulder. She tossed the chain to the man, who caught it effortlessly.

The man turned away and began to recede into the shadows once more. Despite her better judgment, Vendetta followed. The darkness swallowed her up entirely, blending in with her all black clothing. The only thing that stood out among the gloom was the "V" emblazoned across her chest. It was large and green, and off-kilter; the ends of the letter stretched over both shoulders and came together in a point off to her hip. Another "v" glowed dimly, wrapped around her thigh.

She knew he knew that she followed, but he made no comment. He led her to the middle of the warehouse, and she saw that this had to be his hideout. Gears seemed to pop up everywhere and huge computer screens dominated the walls. The light gave off a dim, dusky orange glow. Vendetta tore her eyes away from the back of her employer to ogle the room. It was huge. She glanced around, fascinated by the cogs that churned endlessly. Her senses felt dulled slightly in this place; the dim lights andhazy air made it difficult to breathe, and her vision was not aided by the tint of her goggles.

The man tore the gem out of its lodging and placed it into a large… well Vendetta didn't know exactly what it was, but it didn't look particularly pleasant.

The machine was large, bulky. Strange lights blinked and the engine whirred with an ominous hum. Vendetta's client strode over what had to be a control panel. He tugged on a lever and the machine came to life.

A laser gun came out of an opening at the top of the giant contraption and aimed its muzzle at a larger pile of what appeared to be cinderblocks. The gun charged and a wide bright red beam shot out of it straight at the blocks. Vendetta had to shield her face behind her arm so that the light wouldn't blind her. She knew when the beam hit the pile of rubble; the collision caused a backlash of wind strong enough to throw her off her feet if she didn't brace against it in time. She didn't and went flying back, but rather than careening into a wall, she hit something just a smidge softer and a hell of a lot closer. She glanced up and saw through her tinted visor that Slade had moved to stand behind her and had caught her before she could fly away. She didn't like it that he had snuck up behind her so quietly and without her notice.

The man set her down and the two stood silently, watching the machine do its work. Before Vendetta's eyes the stone came to life. It assembled to form the shape of a man. A very large, blocky looking man. Narrow slitted eyes glowed red through the dust driven up during the process. The monster towered over the two humans. Vendetta was speechless. How could a pile of rock come to life? It wasn't possible, and yet here she was, looking at a very real, very live monster.

"Cinderblock," Slade's cool voice was distinct in the oppressive silence that settled in the warehouse. Slade sauntered up to the monster, his arms crossed over his chest, the picture of relaxation. Vendetta ventured up behind him, using the larger man's body to shield her from the towering pile of rock. "I brought you to life; you will serve me and carry out my plans." Slade instructed his creation. The thing glared down at him, yet dropped to one knee, lowering his head in subservience. Apparently satisfied with the answer, Slade walked back to the machine responsible for this… abomination. He pulled out the jewel that powered it, the jewel that Vendetta stole for him. He held it carefully, cradling it in his palm. Vendetta stood back away from the machine, having no desire to be anywhere near it. As she looked on, the tiny gem crumbled to dust under Slade's fingers. "Hm, I knew it was fragile, but I thought it would be of a bit more use," Slade commented. He tilted his hand, allowing the dust to fall to the ground. A translucent green cloud rose over his feet then disappeared.

Vendetta decided that now would probably be the best time to go. She slunk into the shadows, allowing the inky darkness to swallow her up completely. She faded away, not making a single sound until she reached the window and her shot at escape. She knew there was no way Slade could hear her. Although he was undeniably her best client, it would be best for her to cut off all contact. Even based on her other clients he was a madman. She had made a mistake working for him.

She had been backing up to reach the window in order to keep an eye on Slade when she made her escape, to make sure he didn't notice her departure. Now she turned to leap up to the window. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated and she just managed a small gasp of a mixture of fear and surprise. Slade had made to her in the time it took her to turn. He reached down, grabbing the front of her suit in his fist. He lifted her clean off her feet, bringing her shielded face up to his own masked features. "You've been a good boy so far, Vendetta, do not disappoint me now. I will contact you again and remember this: no matter where you go or who you turn to, I will always find you. You work for me, and I intend to keep it that way," he dropped her and she collapsed to the ground.

"We'll see about that," she muttered. She climbed out the window and disappeared into the night. Slade watched her leave in silence, then turned to Cinderblock.

"I have a job for you," he told the rock man, who simply turned to look at his master. It was the beginning of the tyranny of Slade in the Titans' lives, and the beginning of the end for Vendetta.


	3. Pizza Parties

The Titans decided the next day to get over their defeat with pizza. Pizza was the answer to everything: celebrations, boredom, amusement, getting over being humiliated by a girl disguised as a boy (although they didn't know that), you name it, pizza is the only acceptable answer.

The group sat at their favorite table. Everyone's spirits were low; no one liked allowing a villain to get away. The waitress sauntered over to take the orders. These guys were regulars and she always handled their table, but no matter how many times they came, they could never seem to agree on toppings. The alien girl came up with the strangest combinations- she was under the impression that the ice cream toppings could be mixed with pizza toppings, the green boy was a strict vegetarian while the big blue robot boy was obsessed with meat. The other two, the leader and the quiet girl in the cape didn't seem to care what was on the stupid pie, as long as they could eat. Naturally, it took them awhile to order. Vivi stood there patiently; the other workers thought she was some sort of saint; no one else would take their table anymore, so it fell to her.

Vivi used the Titan's time arguing to space out. She had had to pull several all-nighters for her other job; all she wanted right now was a nap, a good long one. A name brought her back to Earth: the Titans were discussing their encounter with Vendetta. Vivi pricked up her ears to hear what the five teens had to say about him.

"No matter how you look at it, he's a threat," Robin pointed out as he glanced over the menu. He was speaking mainly to Raven and Starfire, the other two were fighting over pizza still.

"But he told us that it was his job, and he was not truly evil," Star objected.

"Job or no, he is breaking the law, and we have to stop him"

"Robin's right. This Vendetta guy has to be taken down," Raven interjected. "Have we figured out what we're eating yet? I'm starving." Vivi was pleased, they didn't even know her real gender; they were nowhere close to figuring out her objective, who she was or where to find her. Not that she herself even knew what her objective was anymore. All she knew was that she was done with Slade. But that meant that her best paying skill was in between jobs now. She was going to have to rely on her earnings from the Pizza restaurant. It was going to be a long month.

They finally ordered and Vivi was able to escape to the kitchens for a moment until the order was ready. No one was around so she had a brief moment to relax. A hand came up to cover her eyes; she was exhausted, she needed to sleep. She had to be at her peak if she was going to evade Slade. Her back hit the wall and she slid to crouch on the balls of her feet. Her eyes slid closed. Just a moment of rest.

All too soon, the pizza was pulled from the oven. Vivi accepted the steaming hot pie from the cook in the kitchen and made her way up to the rooftop seating. The teenage heroes cheered when she appeared with their order. Their reaction to her arrival brought a smirk to her face; they wouldn't have that same response if they knew she was actually a criminal. They knew "Vivi", she was their special waitress, a friend who never let them down when it came to their favorite food of all time besides waffles. Vivi was not evil; she was human, another one of the citizens they kept safe. They had nothing to worry about when it came to her. If only that were true.

She made it to the table held the pizza over her head as if it were some sort of important relic. In her best announcer's voice she called out "I bring you the Ultimate Pizza of Epic Awesomeness!" she tossed it on the table, right in the middle. The titans stared at it, practically salivating. "Dig in Titans!" she yelled, sweeping her arm with an exaggerated flourish. Their bodies followed her arm and were on the poor pizza like a pack of wolves. Robin's head emerged from the pile.

"Thanks Vivi. I know we aren't the most accommodating customers," he said, his face flushed with embarrassment at his friend's actions. She waved him off.

"Not a problem, Champ. Happy to serve you."

The boy had had a cheesy smile on his face when he apologized, but it slid off once he heard her nickname for him. Mentally she cursed herself. Of course, she had called him that at the museum! How could she be so careless? She had to do damage control and fast.

Her face was the picture of innocence when she spoke again. "What's the matter? You don't like the nickname? Sorry, won't happen again," she said it flippantly, with just a touch of hurt so that he would feel guilty for hurting her feelings rather than connecting her to the thief. It should work; he had heard the name coming from what he thought were two different people of completely different genders.

Needless to say, it worked like a charm. Robin had zero experience in talking to girls; he was lucky that he was a natural and generally said things girls like to hear. Well, at least until they were upset with him. That's when he always turned to a pile of goo. She'd seen it happen with Starfire quite a lot at this very restaurant.

Vivi escaped to the kitchens. She was making stupid mistakes now. She needed a break if she was going to play this game of cat and mouse. It was exactly what she had wanted; to officially make herself known to the Teen Titans. But she hadn't counted on breaking connection with Slade- he was going to complicate things.


	4. Houston, We Have a Problem

**I finished early, so I figured I would post this! anywho,might I recommend taking a peek at my bio page? I have updated it and have some info on there that could possibly interest you! thank you for reading! I do not own Teen Titans, but Iown Vendetta. Please review and let me know how I can improve!**

Dusk was beginning to set in when Vivi was finally let off her shift. Fumbling with the keys to her small apartment, she let herself through the door. She stared halfheartedly into her rooms which were surprisingly bare for a teenaged girl like herself. A large curved white couch dominated the room, a small black stained wood and glass top coffee table was set before it. The floor was hardwood with not a rug in sight. Leafy plants were set in the corners and opaque white curtains drifted in a slight breeze brought in by the enormous French style balcony windows. There were two doors on opposite walls. One led to a small bedroom, the other led to the kitchen. Both were as bare as the main room.

Dragging a hand down her face, Vivi stumbled to the plant sitting in the far corner of her main room. She shoved a frond that was resting on the wall out of the way. The wall appeared to be smooth, yet when she applied pressure, a square separated from the rest of the white expanse to reveal a hand pad. She rested her fingertips along the grid and a line of light passed under her hand, identifying her prints before uttering a soft beep. A portion of the floor opened up beneath her feet; living on the first floor had the perk of an easy access to a level beneath the basement of the apartment complex Vivi lived in. she had created the area herself in secret. No one had any idea there was an entire level below the basement. Her elevator was in the farthest corner of the basement, in a warehouse section. She had built a faux wall behind the last, unused row of shelves.

Now she entered the elevator and punched in the button. She descended and slumped against the wall. She glanced at her wristwatch as she propped her head on her arms. Ten o'clock. She would have to work fast if she wanted to get any sleep that night. It would be the last heist for a while; it was the only standing appointment she had before cutting ties with Slade. She couldn't take on any new clients while he was hunting her; she needed to lie low and keep a low profile for a while. She was lucky; her client wasn't one that was connected in any way to the Titans, Slade couldn't trace her through this job.

Entering her secret lair (she just loved calling it that), she strode over to the case that held her suit. It stood fitted on a mannequin, ready for use. The racer goggles gleamed from the hanging lamps from the ceiling and the "v"s blazed on the torso and thigh. She opened the case and slid into the suit, stripping off her day clothes as she did. The final two pieces she put on were the goggles and the mask that covered the lower part of her face. She tugged the hood over her hair, tucking all the stray pieces but the bangs; that was a lost battle, the strands fell out eventually no matter what she did, often at the most inopportune times. It was safer to just leave them out rather than having them blind her if she ran into any trouble.

Ready to take on the world, she jumped onto her hover board. Custom designed and built, naturally. All of her gadgets were; it kept any one from duplicating them or tracing her though a provider. She zipped up the steep slope that would carry her out through a secret exit and onto the darkened streets of Jump City.

Her mission was more of a cleanup of someone else's failure than an actual retrieval. It turned out that the schmuck originally hired to take on the heist had managed to get his sorry kiester arrested before he could deliver the goods. So Vendetta had been called in. She just had to get into the jail, pick up the package and get out. Simple enough, she could slip past the guards and out with no one the wiser.

If only.

* * *

Getting into the jail was easy enough. Sure, it was high security, but that didn't mean much once Vendetta placed a loop video on each of the cameras she passed. The guards were a slightly bigger problem; knocking them out would alert other guards if they couldn't contact those she'd encountered, yet she couldn't just walk past them either. She applied a sticky gel to the bottoms of her feet- temporary Spiderman abilities that would dry out in a few minutes after application. A bit more went onto the tips of her gloves as well and she climbed over each patrol via ceiling. Simple.

Her client had been kind enough to send her a key card to her target's cell. He would still have what she needed, so all she had to do was pick it up and get out. There was no need to get the Titans involved this time; they attracted an incredible amount of attention and, fun as they were, she couldn't afford to be found out by Slade. She'd pay them a visit when things around her quieted down a bit. It was a shame, really. Vendetta had been looking forward to a new rival.

Vendetta was exiting the targets cell- and locking him back in it, much to his dismay and anger, not that he could voice it; she'd gagged him so that he wouldn't draw attention to her escape- when she heard a deafening explosion. Cringing at the sound, she ducked hurriedly around a corner as a few guards rushed down the hall to the source of the detonation. She crept after them, curious herself. At any rate, she could use the confusion to make her getaway that much easier. She kept a safe distance, sticking close to the walls and the indents created by the entries to each of the cells.

She'd been on a higher floor when she carried out her mission, so she had a perfect view of the arena that had been created on the main level of the jail. She stood at a railing above what seemed to be an intersection of hallways. The stories of cells reached high above even where Vendetta was located, and ringed the open space. There appeared to be no guards around and Vendetta briefly wondered what could have happened to them. That thought was soon chased away however, when she saw just who had made the explosion. Cinderblock, Slade's monstrous creation, stood at the intersection, glancing down each of the corridors as if he were lost. Vendetta cursed her luck; Slade's lackey WOULD infiltrate the jail the same EXACT night that she did. This was just perfect. And his ruckus would attract unwanted attention for sure. More specifically the attention of-yes there they were now.

The Teen Titans. They entered with a crash of their own, creating a dramatic entrance as they appeared with the settling of dust and debris. Vendetta rolled her eyes. They would be the flashy type. The group launched into battle immediately, calling out little taunts that were laden with incredibly lame puns while they attacked the block man. Vendetta couldn't help it; she stayed a bit longer to watch.

They worked well together, that much was obvious. The teenagers were the epitome of what was looked for in a team; they knew where each one was at all times, who worked best with who and when another needed help. It was…cool. Vendetta knew that she would never that level of trust with anyone else, much less an entire group of people. Yet the Titans made it look so simple. Vendetta propped her elbows on the railing, resting her chin on her hand, eyes fixated on the battle below her.

She would later curse their teamwork for getting her caught.

Somehow, in the midst of the fight, Raven just had to look up around the levels of the jail. Why, Vendetta would never know; she didn't particularly care either, all she knew was that it was time to get out. Fast.

The cloaked girl shouted out a warning to her friends; they looked up immediately, their fight with Cinderblock momentarily forgotten. Vendetta took a step back from the rail, but hesitated; maybe no one would abandon the rock monster for her? Luck was not on her side. Robin launched his grappling hook at the railing before Vendetta, allowing the cable to drag him up to her level. Panicking, she lashed out with her foot, cleanly knocking the claw off the rail. Robin plummeted to the ground, flipping gracefully in the air to land safely. That was when Vendetta kicked it into high gear. She leapt lightly onto the rail, springing from the rounded metal to latch onto another rail above it. She climbed this way up a countless number of stories, opting for speed and a direct exit rather than rambling about the jail with the Titans hot on her trail. At least they had given up on her for the moment in favor of chasing down Cinderblock; she could hear the distinct sounds or a battle emanating from a hallway they had all run down.

The girl took a few minutes to calm herself on the rooftop of the building. Her breaths came out in long heavy pants. She could feel the icy shiver of cold sweat pouring down her back, her forehead. Her body trembled with poorly restrained fear. Out in the open, vulnerable, it wasn't safe. Moving on was dangerous, staying still more so, and returning to the confines of the jail was the most dangerous option available. Vendetta knew full well when the cards fell out of her favor. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that anyone would come to save such a wretched and lost little soul. Still, it'd be nice…I there were someone to look after her instead of just herself. She quickly tore herself away from that line of reasoning; no one would ever save a thief, hell, she wouldn't even save herself.

Vendetta was disappointed in herself. She knew that she had the ability to remain undetected by the Titans, yet why had she allowed them to see her so easily? It was a rookie mistake to get caught up in watching them. It would ruin everything. She had to get out before they could attempt to track her. She needed to get home. The only thing going for her was the fact that she had managed to retrieve what she had been sent after. It was a small package wrapped in brown paper. Useless to her, but apparently invaluable to her client. They would pay good money to get it back. Well, they would have to, because the girl thief fully intended to underground for a long time. She couldn't risk Slade finding her, and after tonight's blunder, she would be lucky if he didn't come falling from the sky on top of her.

She didn't realize how accurate her fears would be, she didn't see the distinct metallic glint of city lights off a steel shoulder pad, or she would have known that hiding would be useless; that she was already caught in the trap was tightening like a noose around her throat.

Slade stepped away from the dim light as the girl sped by on her hover board, allowing the inky black of the alleyway to swallow him up. He wouldn't lose his thief; he needed Vendetta for his plan, and there was nothing the boy could do to stop him from getting what he wanted.


	5. Hasta la Vista, Jump City

**Woohoo next chapter! I'm so happy with all the reviews I've been getting, but there's something I want to address with them. I know a lot of authors write their replies on the next chapter, but I prefer handling them separately; it just kind of annoys me to see all those responses crammed together at the last minute, so I'll send messages to whoever reviews personally. I hope I'm not offending anyone by doing this. Thank you for continuing to read my work and baby! It means a lot to me!**

**Another note, please look at the update on my bio; it may be of some interest for you to read, maybe? :D yes? Please? **

A month passed. The Titans hadn't encountered Vendetta once, though they saw Vivi at least once a week. Compared to the usually bubbly and slightly sarcastic waitress, the new Vivi was quiet and withdrawn. She constantly had bags under her eyes. She no longer joked with them, engaged them with light, teasing banter; instead she hurriedly took their order, plopped it on the round table and disappeared silently until it was time to pick up the check.

The first one to notice, unsurprisingly, had been Robin. He was used to speaking to the girl as he waited out the usual battle that broke out over the toppings, but lately, she'd had a sort of distant look in her eyes, as if she were in a different world. Any attempt to talk to her was either completely ignored or graced with a small, distracted glance and a strained smile before she resumed her spacing out. It took longer for the others to notice, but once they did, they did their best to cheer her up.

Normally, the antics of the misfit group of superheroes would bring a smile and chuckle from their waitress, but now it had absolutely no effect.

Vivi hadn't pulled a foist since the jail incident. No one had bothered her in the time she used as a "vacation" from her thieving, yet she couldn't shake the feeling thst she was being followed, that every step she took, every action she went through was deeply scrutinized. She knew someone was watching her, and she just hoped, _prayed_ that it wasn't Slade, that it was anyone but Slade. She knew also that she couldn't live like this; like a rat caught in a trap. She had to leave Jump City. Immediately.

Her departure would have to be quiet; no one could know that she was even leaving, much less where she was actually going. She presented her boss with her resignation-she could afford to do that at least; no one knew who she really was, and teenagers quit their jobs all the time. Totally normal. Still, the girl felt a pang whenever she thought of her most loyal customers, the Titans. She knew that they had been trying their best to get her to open up to them, but they were the last people she could ever confess to, the last people she could trust. She knew it hurt them that she shut them out, but she no longer had the luxury of befriending them.

Somehow, they found out about her resignation, and she could no longer ignore them.

The Titans swarmed her at her work, her last week at the restaurant, badgering her as to why she would abandon them to another waiter, pleading her to stay.

"If it's a money problem, you can just stay with us!" Beast Boy begged, his lip pulling into what he thought was a charming pout. He tugged on her hands like a child, throwing her off balance.

Starfire was the next to barrage the waitress "Yes, you must remain with us, you have become a dear friend to us and I fear that no one else will have the ability to serve the delicious pie of pizza but you!" The alien girl was hanging off the human girl's shoulders, dragging her down into an awkward sort of squat.

Vivi attempted to shake the two heroes off, but with no success. "Guys, really, you'll be okay without me. It doesn't take any talent to carry a pizza to a table. And I don't have money problems Beast Boy, I'm having school problems. If I don't get my grades up, my mom'll kill me," the girl sighed, exasperated. She was lying through her teeth; she hadn't been to school in over a year, and the last time she'd seen either of her parents was a year even before that, her father abandoning her when she was young, and her mother stumbling out in a drunken rage, declaring that she would never return. Last she'd heard, her mother was living it up in Vegas, where men bought her beer and whatever else she needed in return for her "services".

The two didn't take the hint until Robin forcefully pried them off with the help of Cyborg. Vivi looked at them gratefully, but her small grin was eaten quickly by a frown when she heard the Boy Wonder's next words.

"You know," he started thoughtfully. "This is the most emotion we've seen from you in a real long time." Vivi sent him a small glare and huffed as she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not everyone lives a perfect life, Champ. I have some problems that I'm sorting out right now." She told him bitterly.

Robin looked a little taken aback by her outburst, yet took it in stride. "if you ever need anything, you can always come to us. We'll always help out a friend." He told her kindly, a smile gracing his masked face.

She turned to eye him fully, eyes narrowing as she replied "I'll remember that. Thanks," she finally grinned when the boy hero stuck out his hand for a farewell handshake. She grabbed it in her own, small hand and tugged him closer, suddenly enfolding him in a back crushingly tight hug. The others joining in, wrapping their arms around each other, Vivi and Robin squashed together in the middle. She flashed him a cheesy grin, forcing it onto her face so the group would stop pestering her. Sure, she loved them, but a small, petty part of her couldn't help but feel that she had to leave because of them. Slade was their enemy after all, even if he had yet to make himself known to them. Cinderblock's appearance had been proof enough for that.

* * *

Late that night, Vendetta made a last appearance in Jump City. She stood on a rooftop; the covering of the one and only Titans Tower. She had to admit that the view on the island building was nothing short of spectacular. She looked on at her beloved city, the last chance that she would ever have to do so. There were no lights on the roof so Vendetta had pulled her visor goggles to rest atop her forehead rather than diminish the view. She wanted to drink in this final picture, her last moments before she had to leave, her hover board was propped against the generator to the tower, humming softly as the cool-air jets whirred and threw off a pale blue glow that cast deep shadow's over her face.

She couldn't come back; not until Slade was out of the picture. He hadn't done anything- not yet at least. But he was clearly insane and Vendetta didn't want to be around when things didn't go according to plan. She'd seen what happened to those who helped evil masterminds: The villain may end up in prison, but there was a good reason why no one ever heard of the thief who helped carry out secret missions; it's difficult to talk when you're buried in some back alley.

Finally, the thief knew she couldn't linger any more. She shuffled over to her board, tipping the nose to fall to the ground. The jets propelled the device and kept it from crashing. Just as she set a booted foot on the board, she felt a large hand clamp around her wrist before hauling her back. Vendetta let out a strangled cry, altered by the distorter as her arm was twisted in its socket. Straining against the angle her arm was held at, she forced herself to look behind at her captor. Her slate gray eyes, visible without her visor to shield them, widened in terror. Slade had returned for her.

**It gets a little angsty with Vivi's parents, but she obviously doesn't live with them and I don't want it to become a plot issue…. I know it's lame and a total copout… IM SORRY! DX aaannnd the cliffhanger on top of it! You all should just come and kill me now… but I have the promise of more chapters to keep me alive right? Right. :D**


	6. No Escape

She stood, unmoving, staring speechlessly at the one person she'd tried so hard to avoid. Her arm was still wrenched cruelly behind her back, but the pain seemed distant, as if she were completely disconnected from it. He gazed levelly back at her, eyes narrowed through his mask into slits. Neither made a sound as the ocean breeze passed between them. Vendetta could not tear her eyes away from the taller man's and he seemed intent on her own features. The features that she now realized were clearly visible.

With a panicked grunt, she twisted in his grasp, feeling and _hearing_ her shoulder crack as she dislocated her shoulder. Facing the villain, Vendetta wrenched her ruined arm from his viselike grip. It hung uselessly at her side, throbbing as sharp pangs of pain traveled throughout her arm. Slade simply watched her desperate antics to evade him, smirking just slightly when she stumbled backwards to add some distance between the two. He took a step towards her. She responded with another of her own. "Vendetta, so nice to see you again," Slade remarked, as if they had merely run into each other at the supermarket. "I had begun to wonder where you had run off to. You see, I'm not finished with you yet and you left so abruptly." His voice was smooth and reassuring, despite the clear threat that underlied it.

Vendetta scrabbled with her fingers to tug her visor back over her eyes, but Slade lashed out with his own hand, wrenching her hand away and preventing her from masking herself once again. Her only good arm held hostage and her other hanging uselessly, Vendetta could do little but struggle in his grip. His strength far was superior to the much smaller thief's and with his free arm he wrapped his hand around her throat, lifting her effortlessly in the air. By now he had released her good arm and it clawed furiously at his, frantically attempting to find purchase against the metal armor. Her body thrashed in the air as she struggled to breathe, gagging as the cloth mask that covered the lower half of her face suffocated her further. When it was clear that Vendetta was not going to answer, Slade leaned closer, his face just inches from her own. "You will work for me, boy. Must I remind you that I have hired you? You're under contract," he hissed.

"You hired me for one job and I took care of it already. Sorry, I'm not accepting clients at this time. Please try again later," the girl retorted though gritted teeth, voice deepened through the distorter. At hearing her voice, Slade fell silent, staring at the girl with an intensity that made her shudder. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "You got a problem, bud? If you got somethin' to say, then just say it!" she tried to put on a tone of bravado, but she knew how incredibly forced and fake it sounded; she could hear the tremble in her voice.

"I believe you have been hiding more secrets from me than I had originally anticipated, Vendetta," the villain remarked casually. "There is something very odd about you indeed." The girl stiffened, but before she could ask what he meant, he tore off the lower half of her mask, revealing her entire face.

Immediately, her good arm flew up to guard her features from his scrutiny, but he was having none of that. He latched onto her wrist and dragged it away, finally fully revealing her face. He stared wide-eyed, almost shocked at his thief's true identity. "A girl…" he murmured to himself. "How very interesting…" he dropped her to the ground suddenly. She was not prepared for the impact and her legs crumpled under her. Air rushed to deprived lungs and she gulped it in greedily, her fingers gingerly touching her neck where Slade had held her moments ago. She forced herself to her knees, her one arm moving to hold herself up, the other still lifeless.

Movement above her alerted Vendetta to Slade once more, who was now crouching in front of her. She glared at him, but there was little else she could do until she recovered her breath. "I'm rather impressed, Vendetta. Few have ever been able to deceive me, yet here you are. I think you can be of some use to me," he told her.

"Never," she spat out immediately. "You think that because you know I'm a girl that I'll just follow you willingly? Not a chance,"

Slade's visible eye flashed maliciously. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, dear. You belong to me," he grabbed her chin, wrenching her forward, forcing her off balance. "And don't think that you'll be able to escape me. I'll be watching over you so if you ever try a stunt like _this,_" Vendetta cried out as he twisted her dislocated arm. "There shall be a much greater punishment." He stood, dragging the girl with him before releasing his hold on her face. He stepped back to the shadows of the roof, disappearing completely.

Vendetta choked back a sob from both the pain in her arm and the fear of being trapped by Slade. She reached down to grab her mask off the ground, fixing it to her face before replacing her goggles over her eyes. As she was heading for her hover board, the door leading down from the roof burst open. The entire team of the Titans stood, illuminated by the light that filtered through the opening behind them. She stood immobile, her arm still useless, stooped halfway to retrieving her board. "Crud…" she muttered to herself.

The Titans launched immediately into action, Robin the first to reach the injured thief. And of course the first thing he went for was her dislocated arm. She spun out of the way just in time, allowing him to stumble past her as she lashed out with her foot, catching him square in the back. "I have no time for this. I'm really not in the mood," she snapped as the next Titan charged her. She ducked around a sonic blast from Cyborg's arm, leaping up into the air and attacking with a spinning kick that connected with the robot hybrid's head. Starfire swooped in to deliver a punch, but Vendetta grabbed the alien with her good arm, launching the other girl back into the air, hitting Raven before she could even attack. Beast Boy Vendetta ignored completely and instead retrieved her hover board, kicking it into gear before running off the side of the building, curling up and positioning the board beneath her feet.

She turned to look back at the tower as she made her escape and frowned when she saw the Boy Wonder giving chase. She slowed, allowing him to catch up rather than wasting time on a chase. She spun her board in the air, waiting expectantly at the side of another building far enough from Titans Tower that the others would not be able to see her. Robin gained on her swiftly and in moments was standing on the ledge of the building, his bo staff out and ready for use. Vendetta propped her arm ion her hip, hoping that the position would hide the fact that the other arm was injured. "Okay Champ, what do you want? I don't feel like playing today," Vendetta informed him, exasperated.

"Last I checked, you were the one causing the ruckus on _our_ tower, so I would start explaining if I were you," Robin shot back. "There were two dots on our monitor; two people up there. Who was with you?"

"I don't think I'll tell you," she replied. The last thing she needed was for Robin to know that she was with Slade. "I wasn't expecting the company myself, but if it makes you feel any better. I wasn't up there to attack you."

"I asked the thieves we apprehended about you," the hero said suddenly, completely altering the subject. "Only a few of them even knew of you, but none of them could give me any information,"

"Of course they don't" Vendetta responded irritably. "In my field of work, the less your competition knows of you, the better. And when you're the best, very few people know of you at all." Robin looked thoughtful. "But how do you become the best if no one knows you?"

"All they need to know is how to contact me. They don't need to know who I am to steal something," the girl answered dismissively. "No more questions. I'm not in the mood to play with you tonight." She spun her board around, about to take off when she felt a sudden weight drop onto her board. She whirled on Robin, who now stood just behind her, mere inches from the edge and a two hundred foot drop. He looked rather pleased with himself.

"You're a criminal, Vendetta. You might not have committed a crime right now, but you have plenty under your belt. I'm taking you in," He really shouldn't have looked so surprised when she kicked him off.

**Boom. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and I still don't really like it. Anywho. Let me know whatcha think! Slade's so incredibly evil and cool. Definitely the hands down best villain that the Titans face. Besides Red X, but he never really bothers anyone outside of taking Robin's suit, so I have a hard time counting him as a villain anyway**


	7. Let's Make a Deal

**Sorry for taking so long to update. It's getting close to the time for me to leave for my first year at college so my mom's been on me for everything haha. Oh well. Here it is!**

Apparently when a thief takes a holiday, all the others try to steal her thunder. Vendetta found few clients waiting for her when she returned to the theft scene. Someone needed to put the small fry in their place and let the big guns out to play. Vendetta quickly grew to dominate the field once again, many of the other competitors bowing out of the way once they heard of her return. Surviving among the city's criminals necessitated one to build up a reputation and it didn't hurt that in doing so, one also gained respect. It was all a part of the game; the bigger the player, the harder the fall. Vendetta stood as a sort of royalty among her people; very few had ever seen her, but everyone knew of the legendary thief who could steal anything for anyone- at the right price of course.

Vendetta could afford to come out of hiding now; Slade would find her anyways, so it was best that she simply took back her title. She returned with a vengeance; no job was turned down and she completed every mission efficiently and flawlessly. She wanted to show him (and herself) that he couldn't own her completely, that she still had the power to do as she pleased. He hadn't visited her again since the last fateful incident, and she would really prefer to keep it that way.

Things never go according to plan.

She abandoned her stealth that she was once famed for. Reports came flooding through the news about a new thief that was taking the city by storm. No one had gotten a good view of the masked criminal, but everyone noted the same flash of green as he passed. He also left a sign at each victim's door: a giant "V" lasered onto the entrance. The Titans appeared at every crime scene, but Vendetta was always long gone. At least, that was how the public saw it.

The Teen Titans busted their way into the latest crime scene, poised for the imminent fight. The target was an old warehouse that housed unused equipment for a nearby nuclear plant. Any one of the machines in here could cause a great deal of trouble if it fell into the wrong hands But as the debris cleared, they realized that they were alone. The room was dark; all the lights had been smashed and the alarms were blaring with a never ending screech. The group peered into the dusky gloom warily, anticipating an attack that would never come.

Robin was the first to enter the room, his boots crunching shards of glass as he passed over it. He delved deeper, disappearing from the view of his team who had remained close to the only light source they had; the hole they had created that allowed the street lamps to emit their glow into a small section of the room.

Robin saw a shadow pass behind a large piece of machinery. He followed after wordlessly, hoping to catch the criminal by surprise rather than give the other the advantage by calling his friends. The two stole deeper and deeper into the warehouse. Robin could no longer see the patch of light and he knew his friends would be unable to hear them if he called. The shadow in front of him stopped suddenly. Robin paused too, hiding behind and jumbled pile of discarded parts. When he looked back out past his hiding spot, the shadow was gone. "Where did you go…" he muttered to himself. He felt the presence behind him just a moment too late.

"Here," the voice was mocking and cold Robin noticed just before a kick aimed at his upper back sent him sprawling. The shadow he had been chasing strode up to him, a bright "V" flashing on his chest.

"Vendetta…" Robin wheezed, attempting to return some air to his lungs as he flipped to his feet. The kick had winded him, but not to the point where he was incapacitated. As his feet hit the floor, they were swept out from under him. His bottom crashed to the ground painfully and his head cracked on the concrete, cushioned from serious injury by his spiky hair. This time he was prevented from standing by a booted foot on his chest with enough pressure to make breathing difficult, but not impossible. "What are you doing?!" The boy gasped. He knew Vendetta was a criminal, but he had only ever really toyed with the Titans. He now acted like a serious threat.

Vendetta leaned closer to the boy, propping her elbow on her bent knee. "You're gonna do something for me, Champ. I need a favor," she told him.

"And… why would I ever… help the likes of _you?_" Robin gasped out. "you're…a criminal, Vendetta. You need to be put behind…bars…"

Visor and mask blocking her face, Robin had no way to see the look of impatience that flickered over the girl's face as she replied. "And you can lock me up after you help me with this. I'll go willingly, even. But my problem isn't just mine; it's yours too."

Robin's brow furrowed. "How can your problem have anything to do with me?" he questioned suspiciously. Before the thief could answer a new voice drifted though the warehouse.

"Robin?" Starfire called out, darting through the air, illuminating the space around her with an unfired starbolt. Raven floated behind her, scoping out the area while the two other males of the team searched on the ground, using the light installed in Cyborg's shoulder. They were approaching quickly.

Vendetta let out an audible sigh and turned back to Robin, whose face was lit up in a smirk. "Don't think you'll be able to catch me, Champ. I know every escape route there is in this place. Your friends are just delaying the inevitable. You're going to wish they hadn't followed you. Not a threat from me, but I can tell you it's true. She whipped two small knives at the other Titans. One knocked the light that Cyborg had clean off, sparks flying at the severed spot. The other hurtled into Starfire's hand, shocking the alien into loosing the bolt. The warehouse was pitch black now.

Robin felt the pressure on his chest ease up and sprang to his feet immediately. He heard a faint rumble and figured that Vendetta was climbing to the rafters. He shot his grappling gun straight up, allowing the hook to wrap around a beam before releasing the catch to hoist him up. He ran nimbly along the beam and saw that there were several windows that opened from the ceiling. He wandered along farther and saw that one had been opened. He leapt through it, pulling out his bo stick and flicking it open to its full length. He found Vendetta waiting for him at the edge of the building. "Do you just like rooftops, or something?" Robin asked. Vendetta motioned for him to close the window. HE did so, but hesitantly.

"Yeah I like them. But it's not the only escape I know, so don't always count on the roof," Vendetta shrugged. "Now, do you want to hear me out or not? This will affect you, you know,"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, tell me. It won't make much of a difference anyways."

"It's about Slade,"

_That _got Robin's attention. He grabbed the fabric covering Vendetta's collar bone and spun her to slam her against the chimney stack. "Tell me what you know," he snarled. "Now," Vendetta's arm had been healing, but it was still sore and she didn't appreciate getting tossed around when she was trying to help him. She grabbed onto Robin's wrist and twisted, hard. He let go with a strained grunt and Vendetta advanced on him. This could no longer be a game. Not when her own life was on the line. Some would call her shallow for not caring until it was her own neck on the chopping block, but a person had to be selfish if she was going to survive on her own in the cold world of criminality.

"All right Kid, listen up. I gotta save my own skin here and it just so happens that if you help me, you'll end up helping yourself, got it? I'm asking for a partnership. Temporary. Just until I can get this freak off my back and then you can continue your amusing little merry goose chase for me over Jump city." She offered, holding out a hand to seal the deal. None of her usual playfulness remained; she was cold and calm, intimidating and lethal. She needed Robin; it was clear that she could no longer save herself.

He knocked her hand out of the way. "Not a chance, mister. I don't do deals with criminals. It's just not my style," he informed her, smirking. Vendetta uttered one small sigh, shaking her head as she released the hero and backed up.

"Sorry Champ. I did try to warn you," she muttered. "by the way.." she had turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks and twisted to look back at him. "You were wondering how to get a hold of a thief. It's my calling card." She flung something at his feet that billowed smoke on impact with the rooftop. She was gone before the haze cleared. Robin bent down to pick up what she left. It was a V made of metal. It had to be a communicator of some kind; small buttons ran up one side and a small light flickered on and off. He toyed with a few of the buttons, nearly dropping the thing when Vendetta's deeper voice rang clearly through the night.

"When you need me, Champ - and I know you will - press the middle button. This baby'll lead you right to me. Don't let any of your friends see this. I mean it. For all I know, this partnership between the two of us could mean life or death. Vendetta out." The transmission died and the button ceased its flashing.

Robin ground his teeth in frustration. He'd beentrying so hard to find something _anything _on Slade, and here some common criminal wanted him to partner up. Robin couldn't afford to lose his morals. Not for a villain like Slade. He wouldn't call Vendetta, even though he sorely wanted to know how he and Slade were connected. He would listen to the last piece of advice however; he didn't show his partners the calling card, he told them Vendetta had simply vanished. For now.

**Sort of a filler chapter. I hope it makes sense. We start to see a darker side of Vendetta here. Slade's messing with her is really screwing with her head and she's getting desperate. Stupid Robin is too stubborn to see how deep in she is though XD. **

**Now, there are a few people who sent me messages that I have not responded to. I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind reviews and I will try harder to send PMs, it's just been a little crazy for me.**

**Until next time then. Ciao.**


	8. New Kid on the Block

**So I'm kinda hoping that the story starts to pick up a bit more speed here. Or do you think I'm progressing things too quickly? Reviews welcome, as always ;) sorry for taking so long homework's a b*tch and a half if ya know what I mean…. Ah well that's college I s'pose.**

On the other side of town lay yet another warehouse. This one however, was occupied, though whether it was officially was a bit of a mystery. This warehouse was home to a certain weapons provider that villains liked to employ. He was rather famous in some circles: Professor Chang. He was not strong, he was not powerful; but he was smart, manipulative and cunning. He also had musclemen equipped with tazing spears and other such weapons to protect him.

As clients went, he was a rather good one. He wasn't any real threat; he was just doing his job like Vendetta, though she hated to have any sort of connection to him. He was slimy, slippery, like an eel. But he paid well enough and she was able to make connections to his clients.

Her last mission-the one where she had attempted (unsuccessfully) to speak to Robin-had been for the Professor. He probably could have done it himself, considering there wasn't much security on what Vendetta had retrieved, but she figured he just liked the idea of ordering someone about, even if he had to pay a rather hefty sum to do so.

She sauntered into the warehouse, picking her way over large chords and wires. She was tossing a small metal sphere into the air and catching it with one hand, allowing it to soar higher and higher each time she released it.

The professor watched her warily, on guard and ready to call his henchmen at any moment. Thief-for-hire the boy may be, but Chang didn't reach his position of weapons provider for the whole of Jump City by acting recklessly. The girl came to a halt a few feet away from Chang, still tossing the sphere absentmindedly. He plastered on a fake smile, the edges of his lips stretching in a manner he was obviously unaccustomed to. "Ah, Vendetta, how good to see you. I take it that the mission was successful?" he simpered.

In answer, Vendetta tossed the sphere at the professor, who scrambled to catch the contraption before it hit the floor, the sneer finally torn off his greasy face. "The Titans showed up, Chang. That doubles my fares," she informed him, her electronically lowered voice taking on a tone of immense boredom.

The scientist glared at the thief, who either didn't notice or simply didn't care. "You attracted them, Vendetta. That's not my problem if you can no longer keep a low profile," he snarled. When it came down to it, Chang had very little power, yet he wasn't afraid to wield the little that he had. He believed he have enough to bully his hired thief.

Vendetta finally glanced at Chang, frowning beneath her mask. Client though he may be, Chang was a simpering idiot who thought Vendetta worked for him because she was subservient to him. She was growing tired of these possessive villains. She stalked closer to him, invading his space. He tried to back up, but Vendetta simply followed.

"I'm a thief, Chang. I take what's mine," she bumped Chang's hand, forcing him to release the sphere. It flew up into the air. Vendetta reached up and plucked it right out of Chang's outstretched hand. She retreated a few steps, holding the sphere warningly. "I want my full cut, Professor," She told him calmly, her visor glinting in the overhead lights of the warehouse where Chang was stationed.

With a sigh, the man nodded in defeat and Vendetta couldn't help but to suppress a smirk. She had to had admit, it felt good to have even a little bit of control over someone, especially after not even having any control over her own life when Slade got involved.

Vendetta sauntered over to the Professor and placed the sphere in his hand, which was now stretched out expectantly. She didn't have to worry about him backing down on his end of the deal; he always paid up; he had to if he wanted her services again. "What is it, anyways?" Vendetta asked as Chang turned away from her. The man froze in his tracks, as if her question had shocked him completely.

"You stupid boy," he sneered. "You went tossing it around without even knowing what it is? This is a xenothium reactor, very unstable and very dangerous," he turned slightly to face her, his face twisted with scorn. Vendetta shrugged, sending him a dirty look that was shielded from view by both her mask and goggles. He started to walk away once more and Vendetta followed.

"So who's the reactor for then, anyway? Not many people have much need for stuff like that," Vendetta tried again. She was rewarded with an answer, one not quite as rude as the one before.

Professor Chang didn't stop this time to give her a reply. Instead, Vendetta was forced to follow him up and down metal ramps and platforms that rose around the entire warehouse. Vendetta noted that there was a good amount of villains who had a taste for stationing themselves in warehouses.

"Some new thief, like you. I don't ask questions, it puts clients off. Perhaps it's a talent you should learn to pick up?" at this last remark, Chang craned to look over his shoulder as he walked, a cruel sneer curling at his lips as he leered at Vendetta.

Vendetta didn't answer. Many of her clients thought that she was scum compared to them, that she was lowly and there to serve only their needs. It was part of the job. No one likes a sneak. Vendetta could handle the cold smirks and grating comments about her profession; she hated most of the other thieves herself. It was the way of the criminal. Vendetta may have been at the top of the realm of the thieves, but that didn't mean she was worth anything to the rest of them.

"He'll be here soon, so get out of here before he sees you," Chang ordered. "I have enough work to do without you getting in my way."

Vendetta nodded to his retreating back, too deep in thought to catch the rudeness in his tone. She melted in to the shadows around the warehouse, swinging out a small ventilation window in a back alley. She crouched to the ground behind a pile of irreparable machinery that was destined for the dump.

She did not have to wait very long. The new thief must have entered almost as soon as she left and left just as quickly. He took the same exit she did. A rookie mistake.

"You never exit through such a small window when you're around villains, kid," Vendetta called out, smirking as she stepped around the hunk of metal. Her arms were crossed over her chest, completely nonchalant and at ease.

The thief started, obviously not expecting anyone to have found him. He twisted to face Vendetta. "Well I could say the same to you, right? You must've taken the same way."

Vendetta chuckled, allowing her arms to swing to her sides. "Aw, kid, you're cute. I took that way 'cause I figured you would too. It's dangerous to leave this way. Did you even scope it out before you took this exit?" when the other thief didn't answer Vendetta took it as an affirmation. "This is a tough job, bub. I don't think I've seen you before in the city. Why are you going to Chang?" Vendetta asked.

The thief turned away, unwilling to answer. "That's none of your business, mister. I'm just looking to make a quick buck, isn't that why any of us get into this job?" Vendetta didn't believe his answer for a moment, but she decided to say nothing; let him think she would believe such a stupid response. There was silence for a moment then he ventured: "Why did you wait for me anyways?"

Vendetta cocked her head to the side, her arms back to lie crossed over her chest. "Curiosity, kid," she replied "I wanted to know who the new guy in town was,"

The thief looked at her for a long moment "You're Vendetta, aren't you?"

"The one and only," Vendetta announced proudly, but she watching him carefully now. If he was a newbie, even with how careless she'd been lately, there was no way he could have heard of her yet.

He very obviously was not a thief for the reason he gave her; he probably wasn't even actually any kind of criminal, but why would he be here then? Vendetta didn't know, but she hoped to find out- you don't rise to the top of your field without knowing your own people. And if he was really just a stupid kid who thought he could get away with this life without getting caught and doing nothing to protect himself, then she would do her best to turn him back to the light. No one deserved this life if they could avoid it. There had been no one for Vendetta; she'd make damn well sure that that wouldn't have to happen to anyone else.

"You a merc?" she asked, staring at him levelly. She thought he wasn't going to answer, so she was a little surprised when he finally did after a moment.

"Yeah, but I haven't had much luck in the way of clients,"

~*~Thief's POV~*~

Vendetta didn't trust me, I knew that. How could he, in this kind of profession? But Vendetta could help me get what I wanted, so I played along. Vendetta didn't reply; he didn't need to. He had to know the person I was looking for. He could take me right to him.

"You're at the top of the ring in the city, right? Maybe you could help me get started on my rep," I offered. It was a long shot, but it might make me seem more naïve and trustworthy-just enough for Vendetta to let his guard down.

"I don't help grunts," Vendetta said, voice dripping with sudden scorn.

"That's fine," I amended hastily, switching tactics. "Well, I know of a few of the bigger masterminds, maybe you could put in a good word for me or give me some information on how to find them?"

I could tell that this piqued Vendetta's curiosity, though he clearly knew it was against his better judgment to ask

Interest won out and Vendetta probed "Like who?" I had to smile to myself. He may be one of the best, but he could definitely make slip ups, and that would lead me right to where I want to go.

I pretended to think a moment, trying to remember name of criminals who had a penchant for using thieves as their underlings, but I knew exactly who I was after. "Well, let me think… I know of Mad Mod, Killer Moth…oh… and Slade?" I was as nonchalant as I could be, especially with Slade. He was the one I was after, the only one that mattered.

Vendetta seemed bored with my first two suggestions, but as soon as he heard Slade every muscle in his body tensed up. "Listen here, kid," He said voice harsh with intensity. "Do_ not_ go to Slade, no matter what. The guy's a total nutbag. You'll regret working for him. Trust me."

That took me aback. Vendetta knew Slade on a personal level? I knew he'd run into trouble recently that somehow had something to do with the villain, but to actually have a tie to him… this was a game changer.

I played stupid. "You know of him?" I asked, allowing hope to color my voice. I had to pass off as an actual thief, he had to trust me enough to give me the information I want.

Vendetta stared hard at me, trying to scrutinize my masked face from behind his own shielded visage (teehee…visage…). "Where did you even hear about him? He's underground still. Most of us don't even know of him. I didn't until he contacted me," Crud. Now what do I say? I hadn't been counting on the fact that Slade was still underground.

I opted for nonchalance. "I've just heard the name around since coming here. Heard he's been stirring up trouble for the Titans," Vendetta grunted noncommittally; he didn't believe me. This was not going the way I had expected at all.

"Look kid, I know this whole thief thing might sound like fun now, but trust me it's not. You've got all sortsof people after you: police, other thieves, the Titans- when they finally catch word of you- masterminds when they think you've cheated them, everyone. You're going to be running for the rest of your life, get it?" Don't do it if you can do anything else," Vendetta advised me, surprisingly earnest. "And if you really can't get yourself out of this, then at least don't go to Slade, for the love of God,"

"You sound strangely sincere about that," I ventured at the end of his rant. I was a little shoch at how vehement he sounded.

"I know of a lot of people who got the short end of the stick in life after they entered this world, kid. I don't want to see it happen to anyone else," Came the short reply.

I couldn't let him get away; this guy had valuable information about Slade and I was not going to lose that. "What if I joined you? Then I wouldn't be ableto do anything too stupid, and you can train me to take care of myself until I can go on my own?" I proposed, the words just streaming out of my mouth before I could stop them. Even as I was speaking, I was cursing myself. Stupid! HE's going to catch on for sure!

Vendetta didn't answer immediately; he just stood there, head cocked to the side, like he was deep in thought. I Cringed as I waited for him to speak.

"Okay, I'll do it."

What.

~*~Vendetta's POV~*~

This kid really was bold. No one had ever flat out asked her to partner up before. The kid would be trouble, but he was interesting, and she could still try to turn him form the path of the criminal.

"I'll do it," She went on. The thief looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe it. _Better start believing, Champ. I want to know what you're up to._

"What's your name, kid?" She asked.

"You can call me Red X,"

**Im sorry… I didn't mean to wait so long to post. I just started college this year so im getting into the swing of things. Anywho, I pretty sure that even before he named himself it was pretty obvious that it was you-know-who. I want to pick up the pace of this a tad because I have a lot more I want to do with it and the longer it takes the less motivation I have. Kindly review as always! Tell me what I can do better! Just please no flames! Ta~**


	9. Two is Better than One, Right?

**Im sorry… I didn't mean to wait so long to post. I just started college this year so im getting into the swing of things. Anywho, I pretty sure that even before he named himself it was pretty obvious that it was you-know-who. I want to pick up the pace of this a tad because I have a lot more I want to do with it and the longer it takes the less motivation I have. Kindly review as always! Tell me what I can do better! Just please no flames! Ta~**

The kid was smart; he knew how to fight and how to sneak like a thief. But something was missing. He lacked the drive. For how adamant he'd been about becoming a criminal, he sure didn't put much effort in. Maybe Vendetta had always been overly cautious, but it was as if Red X was trying to be noticed.

It infuriated Vendetta.

She lounged on the roof of a nearby target building. She had sent Red X in there; she figured that her help in teaching him could be repaid with him carrying out some of her less important missions. Not to mention she also got a 50/50 split to make him do all the work but we won't go into that… The target they were retrieving was pretty simple. Some obnoxious chick named Kitten wanted a new necklace, but apparently her boyfriend named Fang was in jail or something and couldn't get it for her. So naturally she made her daddy pay for the thief with the highest rates to go and get it for her. Honestly, it would have been cheaper just to go out and buy it herself, but if she was getting paid, Vendetta wasn't going to complain.

It had been quiet for a while, which Vendetta took to be a good sign. A thief should be a shadow, nothing more than a passing phantom before he disappears. The best thief is one that no one knows about.

_CRASH!_

She thought that just a second too soon. Sirens began to blare, lights flashing to warn the entire freaking world of the appearance of her… partner. Vendetta was seriously regretting allowing this punk to ruin her reputation. The Titans would be appearing any moment and the police soon after them.

She saw the group tearing down the street, speeding towards the jewelry store. She tracked them for a moment as they disappeared through wrought iron double doors. She looked to the roof. Red X hadn't appeared yet. She waited; unwilling to leave him behind just yet. He should have had absolutely no trouble with this mission. He'd shown her better when she was testing his skills. He must have been nervous for his first solo mission and became careless, Vendetta decided.

A plume of smoke rose from the roof of the jewelry building. Vendetta sprang to her feet as she saw a black figure leap from the haze. It bounded over buildings, hurtling towards the female thief. With a small note of relief, she realized it was Red X, but that relief was quickly overshadowed by the fact that four other shadows were in close pursuit.

"You led them back _here?!" _She cried out incredulously as he sped by. He grabbed her wrist as he passed, yanking Vendetta with him as he hurled himself off the roof, free falling off the building. As they plummeted to the concrete, the building flashing as they hurtled past the windows, Red X released his grip on Vendetta. He whipped out an x-shaped grappling hook and swung to safety. Vendetta rolled in the air, activating arm blades along her gloves, slamming her body into the steel of the closest building and digging the blades in as deep as she could to slow her fall. She dropped safely to the ground, two deep slashes the only mark to show where she had fallen. Much better than a pile of mush if she had been unable to slow her fall. The metal curled outward from the gash with ragged edges.

Vendetta staggered back, looking at just how far she had fallen. Almost fifty stories. That boy was going to get it for throwing her off. Vendetta was not equipped for free falling like her partner apparently was. Vendetta scanned the skies for the Titans, but none came hurtling down to her. X had thrown them off her trail.

The Titans and X were far gone, probably halfway across the city by now. Vendetta heaved a sigh; she couldn't leave X to fight them all alone- that just wouldn't be fair. She took a deep breath then set off after the group, hoping that she could catch up in time.

Red X had led the Titans in a very roundabout pattern; it made it easy for Vendetta to catch up to them, and she was relieved to find them when she had. Vendetta had returned to the rooftops and followed the tracks of Starfire's starbolts as they shone brilliantly against the night sky.

X was holding his own-he was by far a superior fighter- but they had him cornered in an alley; forcing him to take them on one by one while the others had a chance to regroup.

"well, well."

Everyone looked up. Vendetta struck an impressive figure: standing proudly above both heroes and thief, illuminated by moonlight. The Titans looked from Vendetta to Red X, linking the two as allies.

"You two work together?! Dude! Not fair!" Beast Boy cried. The others ignored him.

"Temporary partnership so this idiot doesn't land his sorry kiester in jail," Vendetta informed the heroes, scorn dripping from her voice.

She launched a smoke bomb amidst the group of teen heroes, giving Red X the chance to make his getaway. He trailed behind her as she made a beeline for the meeting spot they had decided on when Vendetta began training. She swung in through a window, landing silently on the concrete floor. She was engulfed in darkness; she and Red X relied mostly on flashlights to keep from attracting unwanted attention. A light clanging from above informed Vendetta that X would enter from the roof.

He dropped down before her as she busied herself throwing the switches on the flashlights. He said nothing. She turned to glare at him. "The idea was that you don't get caught, sport. I'd give that a failing grade," Vendetta informed the other thief. "I thought you would be good at this, X. I thought this was what you wanted. You'll land your ass in jail in less than a week if you keep this up," she sauntered over to Red X, who seemed rather nonchalant despite Vendetta's taunts.

"You win some, you lose some," he muttered sullenly, shrugging his shoulders. Vendetta whipped around to stare at him in disbelief.

"This isn't a _game,_ airhead. If you botch a heist for a mastermind like you seem to think you're ready for, they'll kill you. They're _insane_, X. they don't tolerate failure. If you can't handle the Titans, there's no way you're ready for the big leagues of the underworld,"

She made her way back to the window she entered, staring through the small opening. Was it just her imagination that showed her a shadow lurking around the corner of the next street, just out of the yellow light thrown off by the street light. She shook her head to clear it, turning to look back at her partner. The light of the flashlight swept over her goggles, reflecting back with a flash in Red X's face. Beneath his own, mask, he flinched, but refused to look away. "This is it, X," She told him, her voice cold and flat. "We split from here. Go back to your life. You still can. But I'm not wasting my time anymore."

The beams of light from the few flashlights scattered around the base guttered out. By the time Red X's eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, Vendetta was gone. X never said a word, just stood there motionlessly. After a moment of silence, he slammed a fist into the wall, leaving a small crater in the concrete.

A voice resounded behind him. "Now, now. No need to waste your strength like that," Red X spun to face the source of the noise, a tall man in a black body suit, face covered with a simple mask that was half orange, half black. It seemed that X would not have to find Slade after all; he had come himself.


	10. Friendships, Alliances, and Betrayals

**You guys are the best 3 I never thought you all would read this again so fast! And I already have reviews! I'm not worthy! I'm going to update as much as possible because theres no way I'll be able to from the end of August until November! But I'll do my best! Thank you!**

**Also, looking back, I think there were reviews I missed and never replied to. I apologize and would just like to take the time to thank you here specially! So thanks! And I promise I'll answer them more diligently from now on!**

Vivi sat in her apartment, sulking on her couch. Red X annoyed her. He asked her for help! If he wasn't happy with how she worked, then he shouldn't have bothered her. She got to the top because she was careful, not because she caught a lot of attention. She stifled a sigh under her arm, which draped over her face. An alarm buzzed in her ear; her watch was right up against her face. She had an appointment to keep.

His partnership with Vendetta had paid off- maybe not in the way he had planned, but he got what he wanted, and that's all that really mattered to him at the moment. Of course, he had to prove himself to Slade, but once he got that out of the way, the mastermind would be his. It was all working out. Even better than he had planned, though he wished he could have hooked Vendetta in the process, but he would just have to cut his losses for the moment; he could handle the thief for hire after this was all over.

In the safety of his room, Robin removed the skull mask covering his face with a sigh. He couldn't fight Slade face to face, but this thief gig could place him in a prime position to get close to the criminal and take him down. Robin had morals, but sometimes rules had to be broken, sacrificed for the greater good. Lying, stealing, associating with established criminals- maybe Robin could never be seen doing such a thing, but that's what Red X was for: to do the things Robin couldn't. Naturally, the suit would be locked away once this mission was completed; it was too dangerous a lure for a hero, and he couldn't turn from justice unless he was desperate. Well, he was now.

His last task for Slade would be tonight, he had to think up a good excuse for Robin to be missing when the Titans sprang into action. He grinned to himself. Vendetta would have a fit if he knew X actually _planned _to draw the attention of the Titans. He frowned, thinking of their former partnership. Robin could never ally himself with one of the top ranking thieves in Jump City, even though Vendetta had tried to push that. He wanted nothing to do with Slade; that much was clear and Robin wanted desperately to know what it was that Vendetta knew about Slade that made him so scared of the other criminal. It didn't matter now; Robin was going to take him down any day now and that information would be useless.

He was taught to take down a villain no matter the consequences; it was a lesson his teacher had drilled into him endlessly. A villain not behind bars was a threat to the entire city as long as he ran loose. Robin would stoop to any level in order to stop Slade, even become a criminal himself. But there had to boundaries, something that separated him from the scum he battled every day. That was Justice.

He strode out from his room, securely locking the suit into a secret compartment in his walls. A secret his teammates could never know. He knew keeping them out was a betrayal to their trust, but he had to keep them safe. He headed to the main room, where they all waited for their leader.

He had an appointment to keep.

Vendetta sat atop a skyscraper, fiddling with her newest… acquirement. It was so shiny, she couldn't help herself. She had started stealing from her love all things shiny, after all. And it had been so easy, when she isn't looking, slip of the hand, and that mean girl's spangled butterfly barrette is all yours. A smile melted on Vendetta's masked face as she reminisced. It had been simple back then; if she liked it, she took it, end of story. Her room had been filled with little trinkets that she had lifted from girls who had picked on her. She wasn't Robin Hood, giving these little pretty things to girls who were bullied, far from it. No, it was revenge, pure and simple. Plus, now she had a new accessory.

The H.I.V.E. was creating a new training facility and this baby, this shiny, confounding little piece of technology, would revolutionize the way the students could learn, or some nonsense that Vendetta hadn't cared to listen to. She had a bit of extra time before her meeting with the head master. She wanted to mess with it. What harm could she do to it anyway?

An enormous crash only a few blocks away jolted Vendetta out of her day dreaming, nearly causing her to lose the precious tech that she had been sent to retrieve. Smoke plumed from a warehouse. Vendetta leapt over a few buildings to get a better look. Yep, it was definitely a warehouse. She was beginning to notice that a lot of problems started in warehouses. She made a mental note to steer clear of them, tucked away her device and kicked her hover board into gear and flew over to check out the situation.

Vendetta had seen Slade's robot minions; they patrolled his hideout and "escorted" her when she was dragged- I mean summoned- by the mastermind. She had never imagined he could have so many. They lined the walls inside, littered the ground, even staked out on the streets outside,only visible when the soft blue glow of the hover board passed over them. They were silent and deadly. And there were hundreds of them.

The girl thief's eyes widened in horror as she counted more and more. And they all seemed to have one focus; the Titans. Vendetta quickly assessed the situation: Four Titans, all surrounded and severely outnumbered, but they didn't seem to even notice the robots. They were all focused on one thing: Red X. He looked like he was in as much trouble as the Titans themselves; the robots lunged at him from every angle- it was all he could do to keep them at bay. And the Titans seemed to believe that they were in league. They formed together, opting for a group attack against the enemy. X was trying to warn them off, but couldn't even find the time or breath to yell. They would collide at any moment, he'd never win.

"**_ROBIIIIN!"_** Vendetta shrieked at the top of her lungs, voice alter scratching to tune up to her voice. Her body was leaning precariously over a rusted railing, having nearly flung herself into the fray.

All movement stopped dead, stunned by her sudden, earsplitting arrival. Her bound chest heaved as she tried to control herself. Her voice alter leveled out, no longer screeching tinnily in her ear. Robin seized the moment to tear off his mask.

"It's me! Slade's getting away! Come on!" he darted away in hot pursuit of the older villain, leaving his bewildered team in the dust, staring at each other, not even sure what to believe any more. As one, they looked up at Vendetta, who finally had brought herself under control. She shook herself to clear her head, adjusted her goggles and finally looked down to see the young heroes staring openmouthed up at her.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Your um… your… Robin is waiting on you…" she mumbled lamely. They continued to gape at the thief, until it finally registered with Starfire. She floated up into the air, turing in the Direction Robin had sped off in.

"Robin needs our help! We must go to him!" She exclaimed. It was too much for her at the moment to fathom how Robin could have done this to her… to her team, that he had turned criminal. And worse, that _another criminal _had been able to see through what she could not.

Her voice jerked the other Titans into action. "We'll deal with what the nut is going on later, right now Robin needs us! Let's move it!" Cyborg boomed. He charged off, Star and Beast Boy following. Raven spun to shadow her team, but hesitated.

She glanced at Vendetta, who had not moved. "You're not coming?" She questioned in her almost toneless voice. "I thought you two partnered up."

Vendetta shrugged, turning her back on the heroine, shaking imperceptively from the adrenaline rushing through her veins. "I'm no hero," she muttered, more to herself than to Raven "I'm not into the whole "rescue" thing. Go after the champ. He needs you against Slade, more than he knows."

Raven didn't question her cryptic words, merely flew away to catch up to the others, leaving Vendetta alone in the dusky warehouse.

Well, maybe not entirely alone. The robots still surrounded the entire building. A dark, almost sadistic smile crept over the female thief's features; she had just the game for this party. She kicked up her hover board, which had collapsed the moment she landed at the ware house, and leapt onto it. She rocketed up into the night sky. She spiraled ever upward, finally spinning to a stop. Her board hovered high up in the sky as she drew something from her belt, pushed into a small pad. It flashed to life, blinking in her palm. She grinned at it, eyes lidded in anticipation. She tilted her hand, letting the orb fall back to earth.

It crashed into the warehouse, blasting it and all the robots in and surrounding it to bits. She rode the shockwave even higher, yelling in reckless joy. What a rush. It was the first time she had free in a long time. She tore off her lower mask to let out a "Whoop" of mirth before swinging her body to a halt and angling herself back towards earth. She gained speed with the help of gravity as she angled the board even further to a full on nose dive. She crouched low, keeping her body as close to the board as possible. At the last possible moment just before she hit the skyscrapers that reached like fingers up into the air she pulled out of the dive, leveling off her board and speeding over rooftops.

Finally she slowed enough to where she could stop and she hopped off her board, quite a distance away from the explosion she caused, trotting a few steps to keep from stumbling from the last of the momentum of her wild ride. She panted heavily, a huge, self-satisfied smile engulfed the entire lower half of her mouth. She gulped in air greedily, reveling in the rush in her blood, her heart pumping wildly. Finally, her breaths evened out and she secured her mask around her face once more, just under her goggles, tapping the mike woven into the fabric to test her voice alter.

She had to turn in her assignment to the H.I.V.E. headmaster now, it was past time to meet up and she hated to be late.

She spun straight into a kick to the jaw.

**Boom. I did it. A thing. This right here. I made this. And I am DAMN proud! It is very late. I am running on willpower alone. This is not edited. I don't plan on editing it. I'll do that when I can see straight. I'm kidding, it's like 1:00 in the morning, college has trained me for this! I just don't want to edit, I wanna post! Yes! So here you go. Update soon to follow cause I don't want to keep this cliffhanger, even though I know what happens next. My author's notes are going to be longer than the story. I always forget this.- - this story is mine. Vendetta is not mine. Teen Titans are not mine, but I can assure that if they were I would never condone this new torture called a series that they have devolved into. I'm gonna stop now since I doubt anyone actually reads these. Thanks for reading! Please review!**


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